Tales in Tarrasade 3 Vacation FF version
by Mannah Pierce
Summary: Continuing the space saga 'In the cold of space...". Set in the Uchiha household with Sasuke, Naruto, their children and their extended family. Shikamaru decides that Naruto needs cheering up. Naruto/Sasuke M/M Yaoi Sci-Fi AU


_This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings._

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**Warning****: This story features male/male relationships. If you are uncomfortable reading about gay male relationships do not read this story.**

**Any scene considered too graphic has been replaced by oo******oo**

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This story is set in a very different world to ours. In 'known space', different societies and communities are often very isolated from each other and have very different histories. There is no common shared knowledge of Earth's history; in fact all knowledge of Earth as the home of mankind is lost. There is no shared law, no shared agreement of what what is 'right' and 'wrong', no pervasive religion.

Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not.

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Special thanks to xxShadowheartxx for reviewing tales 1 and 2.

_Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment._

Many thanks to 'Small Fox' for beta-ing.

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You need to have read iIn the cold of space you find the heat of sun/i to fully appreciate, or possibly even follow, this fic.

If you haven't...

...Sasuke's crew live in a space station called Tarrasade when they are not travelling. Sasuke and Naruto have ended up with nonuplets; three babies who are purebred like Sasuke and six kits who are fox-human hybrids like Naruto. Want to know how? Read 'In the cold of space you find the heat of suns' and find out.

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**Tale Three: Vacation**

_Eight divs (four-fifths of a standard year) after the birth of the babies and the kits_

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"I want us to buy a planet," Shikamaru told them.

Sasuke blinked. It was not a response he had expected when asking for any other business at the end of their regular strategy meeting. He looked at Kakashi, who looked amused, and at Neji, who, as usual, gave nothing away.

"Go on," he said, cautiously.

"It's a far-edge, first wave find that was seeded with a standard ecology millenniums ago," Shikamaru continued. "Discovered when all the space lanes went out in straight lines from Centre, before the Varachov technique was developed and we worked out how to detect adjacent holes. In those days Space Hoppers went for decades looking for potential habitables.

"I found it in the Colonial Service records. The Space Hopper was thorough. She included thorough scans of every system she jumped through. Good enough that I was able to look for holes that we could use with the improver. There's a five jump route. Isn't that amazing?"

"Exactly how many planets in the Colonial Service's records did you look through and how long has this taken?" Kakashi asked.

Shikamaru flushed. "Since I was looking for the lost planet in the Kaze system. The search engine I built did most of the work. I only looked at the most promising. About fifty. It would be cheap, for a planet, because it is so far out. The Colonial Service lost interest in it centuries ago and the deeds are languishing on a planet broker's books."

"How cheap is cheap?" Sasuke asked.

"It should be a couple of petacredits," Shikamaru admitted, "but it would be cheaper to an up and coming planet broker who was trying to build a book. People like that buy up batches of seemingly useless deeds from well-established brokers. It means that their book doesn't look empty."

"You've already done it," Kakashi accused.

Shikamaru flushed. "I used my own credit, not Uchiha's, and I had set up that identity several standards ago. If rumours of the improver gets out the price of these types of planets will soar."

There was a silence that Sasuke broke. "How much credit do you have, Shika-san? You yourself, not Uchiha's resources."

Shikamaru face turned crimson. "It's weird. Once you get a certain amount of credit it becomes much easier, particularly if you can afford to run bigger risks."

"Shikamaru? Are you going to answer?" Sasuke pressed.

"Enough," he evaded. "Much less than Uchiha if you realised Uchiha's assets."

Given that the compound in Tarrasade was worth as much as a decent planet in the Inner Fringe, that was not surprising. However, it was clear that Shikamaru was not going to tell them.

"So the planet is yours. Not Uchiha's," Kakashi observed.

"I will transfer title if it is any good. We have to go look," he admitted.

"We will send the Dart," Sasuke decided but then read Shikamaru's reaction. "Or maybe not," he suggested.

"If it has a standard ecology and is untouched it could be spectacular," Shikamaru enthused. "Did you know that Na-chan has never seen the sea or a mountain or a river or a forest or snow or anything like that at all? The closest he had come to it was Elessen."

Sasuke's had never thought about it. His only experiences with untamed wilderness had been during school trips and he had loathed it. He was a spacer through and through.

"You bought a planet to cheer Naruto up," Kakashi said, admiringly.

Sasuke was immediately on full alert. "Naruto needs cheering up?" he queried.

"He is disappointed every time someone goes out of the compound and he cannot," Neji replied. "He is probably careful to hide it from you Sasuke-sama."

"It would be more than just a vacation," Shikamaru insisted. "We will be able to check if the household can transfer to the Oak as we have planned. We could try out Kotetsu's idea of laying a string of mini-gates behind us as we travel. And we can use the new private dock. You and Naruto won't have to fight your way through crowds in the corridors."

"A vacation?" Sasuke queried.

Shikamaru shook his head. "Yes, a vacation. Time taken away from work for leisure or enjoyment."

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Naruto did not know why being on the Oak felt less confining than being in the Uchiha compound. Overall, the Oak was smaller. Naruto wondered if it was because they were travelling; he had spent almost all of his life spacing.

The babies had taken the change in their stride, or at least Hikaru had as he was walking already. Hoshi's preferred method of locomotion was crawling. Haru had been seen to crawl, but usually waited for people and objects to come to him; Kazuki brought him anything he wanted.

The kits had taken a few more days to adapt; it had taken that long for the rooms to smell strongly enough of the litter. They were all fully mobile. They had started to climb and jump as well as walk and run. The only thing they were bad at was staying still while they were awake.

That included sitting in high chairs to eat their meals. Kiba and Naruto had come to an agreement. The kits had to sit in their chairs but they were not strapped in; no sitting in a chair, no food. It was a compromise; Naruto worried that some of the kits were not eating enough and Kiba made himself ignore their appalling table manners.

Naruto, the babies and the kits were on an outing from the nursery to visit Sasuke in his office. Such adventures required careful planning. Inari went ahead to prepare the route, blocking off corridors and closing doors. Konohamaru and Tayuya followed behind to collect any stragglers.

They were not needed. The kits had focused on the idea that Sasuke was at the other end of the corridor and that was enough for them to keep going forward. At first overall progress had been slow because Hikaru wished to walk and Hoshi to crawl but they speeded up once the two babies decided that they were content to be carried. Naruto had Hoshi on one arm, Haru on the other and Hikaru perched on his shoulders.

They rounded the last corner and the kit at the front spotted the open door to Sasuke's office. Yoshimi gave a squeal of delight and the stampede began.

By the time Naruto arrived Sasuke was in one of the comfortable chairs covered in kits. Naruto added the babies to the pile and looked back to check that Konohamaru or Tayuya had closed the door. He then took off the satchel he had brought and placed it on the table before settling into the chair opposite to watch.

Some twenty minutes later the stated purpose of the trip had been achieved; there were nine named moulds of handprints on the shelves of the display unit. Although Kazuki, Keizo and Yoshimi were still intent on using Sasuke's desk as a climbing frame, Yuki and Hoshi had fallen asleep on Sasuke and Yasushi was blinking owlishly from his position on the rug; it was time to go home.

Once they realised that Sasuke was coming with them they all wanted to be carried and for Sasuke to carry them.

The solution was to use the intercom and ask Inari to bring the hover platform they had adapted. Sasuke lifted each of them over the high sides. Yuki squeaked piteously and clung, Sasuke looked at Naruto and Naruto shook his head very slightly. Sometimes, with nine, you had to be hard. Sasuke could not carry Yu-chan for the same reason that the kits were fed only if they sat on chairs.

Once they were back in the nursery Naruto transferred them all to the new, even larger, basket with high, vertical walls and told them it was quiet time. Sasuke fetched his biwa, played them some tunes and sang them a lullaby. By the end they were all quiet and still.

Iruka had asked to speak with them if the babies and the kits cooperated by napping. Naruto activated and inserted his earpiece while Sasuke stowed his biwa. Then they made their way to Iruka's office.

Kakashi was there. Iruka was slightly flushed; Naruto decided that he would not sniff the air too thoroughly. He settled into one of the chairs, wondering what the meeting was about.

"Naru-kun, this trip is not only to test Kotetsu-san's idea of laying a trail of minigates behind the ship to establish a communication route," Iruka began.

"It had been good to practice moving the family from the household to the ship," Naruto agreed. "Also to see if Shi-chan's methods for finding unmapped routes are working well."

"There is even more to it than that," Iruka told him. "The trip has a destination, Naru-kun. An unoccupied planet. The idea is that at least some of us will spend some time on the surface."

Naruto had no desire to spend time on the surface of a planet. He had babies and kits to care for. "Some people will go to the surface of the planet," he agreed. "I will stay here with the babies and the kits."

Kakashi and Sasuke exchanged glances. "Dobe, we're out here because Shika-san thought you needed to get out of the compound," Sasuke told him.

Naruto smiled. "Shi-chan was correct. It is good to be spacing."

"He's convinced you should experience a wilderness," Sasuke explained.

Naruto frowned at him. Why would he want to experience a wilderness?

Kakashi shook his head slightly. "Naru-kun, Shikamaru bought the planet for you. Try not to hate it."

Naruto was stunned. His whiskers twitched. "Shi-chan can afford a planet?" he asked.

"A cheap one that can only be reached easily using an improver but, yes, he can afford to buy a planet," Kakashi confirmed.

"You think he bought it for me?" Naruto queried.

Sasuke sighed. "He's utterly convinced you are going to like being on the surface. He has been looking for a planet like this one ever since we got the improver. Lady knows how much effort went into tricking people into selling it to him. He's going to be crushed if you refuse to drop."

Naruto reconsidered. Shi-chan was his best friend. "Sasuke and I will spend some time on the surface," he decided. "The babies and the kits will be fine with Kiba and Iruka-sensei."

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Naruto walked along the beach. The sunlight warmed him. The breeze caressed his skin. The sea stretched to an impossibly far horizon where it met the sky. He stopped, scenting the air and listening to the sounds of waves and birds and the wind in the trees. The sand was hot under the soles of his feet and between his toes.

Shi-chan was right; he loved it.

They had concentrated on checking if the ecology was standard, therefore safe, and finding a single location suitable for their 'vacation'. Shikamaru had chosen a chain of small islands just north of the equator. Apparently such islands were highly prized on planets where people took 'vacations'.

Naruto now understood why.

He crossed the rocks that divided that beach from the next, leaping easily from rock to rock. When the babies and the kits were old enough they would bring them here. Not soon; Naruto briefly imagined what the kits would get up to and was glad that he was raising them on a space station and a ship rather than a planet.

He rounded the headland and sprang from the rocks onto the sand. He could see Sasuke under the awning close to the tree line. Naruto suspected the teme was working. He smiled; Naruto would soon put a stop to that.

Sasuke's attention was caught by Naruto calling him. He looked up and all thought of what he had been doing vanished. Naruto was wearing only a pair of shorts. His tan skin had turned the most glorious shade of golden brown and there were sun bleached streaks in his hair.

It was difficult to decide if his eyes were the colour of the sea or the sky.

Sasuke hid the console, very aware that Naruto had already threatened to throw it into the sea, and walked towards his dobe.

Naruto watched and smiled. He knew that Sasuke was less enamoured than him by the island. Despite the treatments Rin had given him, Sasuke's skin refused to turn anything other than spacer pale. At least they had stopped him burning when in direct sunlight.

He looked like a creature of the night, all darkness and moonbeams, stranded in the intense brightness of a tropical day.

Naruto closed the distance between them, swept him off his feet and bore him into the sea.

They paddled and splashed before swimming to the headland. Naruto climbed out onto the rocks and then lifted Sasuke out to stand beside him. It was, even Sasuke had to admit, beautiful.

The suddenness of the sun setting caught them both out. They had sat, transfixed by the array of pinks and golds, before realising how quickly night followed day. Sasuke clung to Naruto, uncertain of his footing in the fast fading daylight.

Naruto danced across the rocks to the beach with Sasuke on his back, his foxy eyes picking out a safe path in the twilight.

Once they were back on the beach Sasuke used his wilderness training to reset and ignite the fire while Naruto found them clothes and food from their supplies.

Naruto watched the flames flicker and lick; he had always found fire fascinating.

Moonrise was earlier than the night before and the moon was close to full. Sasuke watched Naruto; he had noticed that moonlight made him restless.

"Do you need to go for a run?" he asked.

Naruto was torn. Yes, he wanted to run. No, he did not want to leave Sasuke.

Sasuke fastened his coat, stoked the fire and pointed to the basket that held a battery of devices to deal with non-existent threats. "I'll be fine," he insisted.

The moon gave enough light provided he stayed out of the shadows. Naruto ran across beaches and jumped over rocks. They had walked the periphery of the small island when they first arrived and he followed the same route without hesitation.

Running through the night, scenting unfiltered air, the feel of natural ground beneath his feet; it spoke to the non-human parts of him.

Sasuke waited for a while and then readied himself for Naruto's return while imagining Naruto's warm body beside him.

A howl and then another. Sasuke sat up. Naruto was on the headland; outlined against the starry sky and softly illuminated by the moonlight reflecting from the water. Sasuke watched as he threw his head back and serenaded the moon.

Then he was moving; a blurred shape leaping between rocks and running across the sand. Sasuke braced himself for impact.

But Naruto slowed to a walk. His touch was gentle; the kiss on Sasuke's naked shoulder, soft. Sasuke looked into his eyes, searching.

"I love you," Naruto whispered. "I will always come home to you," he promised.

They lay spooned together in the sleeping bag.

**oo******oo**

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They had docked the Dart. Naruto bounced with impatience as the bay pressurised so that they could open the airlock. Sasuke smiled. Once they had begun packing up the camp Naruto had only been able to think of the kits and the babies.

The docking bay was no place for children; at this time of ship's day they would expect the kits and the babies to be in the playroom. Naruto was moving through the corridors in that direction as soon as the doors would open. The only reason he was not running was that Sasuke would be unable to match his speed.

Then, unexpectedly, he slowed. Sasuke almost collided with his back.

"They are coming," he warned.

Sasuke listened. Soon he could hear the kits and, after a short delay, Yoshimi rounded the corner followed by Kuuya and then the others.

Naruto crouched down and the kits accelerated towards him, squealing with delight.

After a few moments seven pairs of blue eyes turned to him and Sasuke joined them on the floor.

Then Kiba and Shikamaru were there with the babies. Hoshi reached for Sasuke while Naruto took Hikaru. Haru looked at them from his vantage point in Shikamaru's arms.

"To-chan," he announced, looking at Naruto. "Papa," he added, looking at Sasuke. He then turned and fisted his hands in Shikamaru's hair. "Shi-chan."

Shikamaru smiled at their amazed delight. "I admit I may have coached him," he confessed. "I tried with the others, but the kits aren't interested and it's a bit hit and miss with Hikaru and Hoshi."

Haru waved a hand in Naruto's direction. "Hi-chan," he said.

Shikamaru looked at his son in surprise. "You've got that as well?" he queried.

Haru looked at him and then turned towards his sister and brothers. "Ho-chan, Ka-chan," he said and Kazuki looked over from when he was climbing up Sasuke's back. "Yo-chan, Ya-chan, Yu-chan, Kuu-chan, Kei-chan," he completed and then waved an arm towards Kiba. "Kiba-san," he added.

Shikamaru blinked.

Naruto looked at the other adults' astonished expressions and laughed.

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The End

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_..._

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**The complete series**

_This is the order of the stories in this series_

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**In the cold of space you find the heat of suns** chapters 1-16

_Can his spacer crew keep Sasuke alive and his identity secret so he survives to lead a new Uchiha? Will the fox-boy they acquire affect Kakashi's carefully laid plans?_

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Silver Leaf Tales: **Tying the knot**

_Naruto and Sasuke were friends & rivals but now they are lovers. What does it mean to each of them? Will their differences stand between them?_

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**In the cold of space you find the heat of suns** chapters 17-91

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Tales in Tarrasade 1 – **The Cook and the Nursemaid**

_Can Choza break the bad habit of a lifetime and find someone who appreciates him?_

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Tales in Tarrasade 2 - **Knives**

_Can Lee make himself extraordinary enough to counter Gaara's obsession with beautiful blonds?_

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Tales in Tarrasade 3 -** Vacation**

_Shikamaru decides that Naruto needs cheering up._

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Tales in Tarrasade 4 – **Pas de Trois** - Chapter 1 Partners in the dance

_Can Haku circumvent all their problems and achieve his aim of melding him, Kisame and Itachi into a threesome?_

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Tales in Tarrasade 5 - **Kiba's day off**

_Iruka persuades Kiba to have a day off while Sasuke and Naruto are away. Surely they can cope looking after Naruto's litter for a single day?_

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Tales in Tarrasade 6 - **Friendship**

_Sometimes being friends is more important than being lovers. That's what Inari thinks but will Konohamaru agree?_

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Tales in Tarrasade 4 - **Pas de Trois** - Chapter 2 Kisame's miracle

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Tales in Tarrasade 7 - **Honour your parents**

_Shikamaru receives a message that sends him into a funk. Can the crew help him out?_

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Tales in Tarrasade 8 – **Patron** [2 chapters]

_His relationship with The Last Uchiha has made Naruto the most famous hybrid in known space. Can he use his fame to help other hybrid?_

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Tales in Tarrasade 9 - **Homeward bound**

_Gaara has decided to return to Kaze and Lee, of course, will go with him._

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Tales in Tarrasade 10 - **Opening the cage**

_Kakashi realises Iruka is depressed, but why?_

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**Iteration** Chapters 1-13

_Continuing the space saga about Sasuke, Naruto, their children and their family. Enemies emerge as Uchiha thrives & Naruto champions other hybrids - a testing time for New Uchiha._

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Tales in Tarrasade 4 – **Pas de Trois** - Chapter 3 First steps

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**Iteration** Chapters 14-16

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Tales in Tarrasade 11 - **Medico**

_Rin through someone else's eyes._

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**Iteration** Chapters 17-43

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Tales in Tarrasade 4 – **Pas de Trois** – Chapter 4 Needing

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**Iteration** Chapters 44-104

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Tales in Tarrasade 4 – **Pas de Trois** - Chapter 5 Princess

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**Iteration** Chapters 105 – 119

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**Real** [11 chapters]

_Set in Sasuke & Naruto's extended family. What makes someone real? Haru struggles with this and other issues as he begins to grow up._

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**Leader** [107 chapters]

_Follow Sasuke & Naruto's extended family. With Uchiha expanding, will opposition come from outside or within?_

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...


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